Post by Football News on Nov 2, 2016 16:36:53 GMT

Everton Disabled Supporters Association

What Is EDSA?

Everton Disabled Supporters Association (EDSA) is a supporters group formed in 1995.

The group work alongside Everton Football Club to improve the facilities for disabled supporters at Goodison Park ensuring they have a positive matchday experience by providing constant feedback to the Club.

The EDSA membership is open to all disabled supporters and there is a £10 seasonal membership fee to join.

Being a member of EDSA has many benefits:

- Priority on home match tickets on a rota basis- Invites to open training days at Goodison Park - Mascot opportunities for Junior Blues - Invites to ESDA meetings - A chance to vote for the EDSA player of the season along with a matchday presentation - Car parking opportunities on a rota basis

The Equality Act 2010 defines a disabled person as someone with a physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on his or her ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities.

To ensure that the Club treats everyone fairly and to enable us to take the particular circumstances of disabled supporters into account when allocating seats, the Club requires all applicants for seating which has been allocated for the specific use of disabled supporters to produce either (1) confirmation of their entitlement to the medium or higher rate care component of Disability Living Allowance (“DLA”), or (2) a letter from their GP confirming that they are a disabled person with a recognised impairment that requires extra help.

Reference throughout this Guide to a “disabled supporter” is a reference to a person who can provide this confirmation.

Please note in the case of DLA, as the allowance may be for life or for a fixed period, the Club reserves the right to periodically check that an applicant remains eligible.

Buying Your Ticket

Not a member of EDSA?Disabled supporters of Everton should contact the Clubs disabled liaison officer Brendan Connolly on [email protected] or 0151 530 5396.

Alternatively you can visit the ticket office in person for advice on purchasing tickets for all Everton fixtures. We would ask that, wherever possible, you detail the nature of your disability so that we are able to assist your purchase in an informed manner and to offer you seats most suited to your requirements (subject to availability).

Tickets for wheelchair bays and seats to accommodate disabled supporters are available for purchase on a match by a match basis, subject to availability.

Away Fixtures

The Club is given a limited number of tickets (including seating for disabled supporters) for away fixtures. Priority for away tickets is given to season tickets holders.

If the Club is able to offer additional tickets to wheelchair users for a particular away match, these tickets will be allocated on the same basis as away tickets are sold to non-disabled supporters. Due to the varying levels of seats at away stadiums which are suitable for disabled supporters, we cannot guarantee all ticket requests.

Disabled supporters requiring tickets for Everton away fixtures or who would like more information on the Club away ticket details should contact the Disabled Supporters Liaison Officer on 0151 530 5396. Please ensure that you have purchased a ticket before making arrangements to travel.

In situations when the Club arranges supporter travel to an away fixture, we will make every effort to ensure that suitable travel is also available for disabled supporters.

Facilities for Disabled Supporters Using Wheelchairs

We accommodate both home and away supporters who are wheelchair users and their PA’s within Goodison Park

There are three accessible entrances available to wheelchair supporters at Goodison Park, all of which offer ground level access to wheelchair viewing facilities.

All three entrances are clearly signed with the accessible wheelchair symbol and open approximately one

Facilities for Disabled Supporters with Learning Difficulties

There is no allocated seating for supporters with learning difficulties and they may therefore sit (subject to availability) in their preferred area of Goodison Park as with any football stadium, the upper tiers of Goodison Park are very steep and we would therefore discourage any supporter who would be unable to exit the stadium quickly in the event of an emergency, from purchasing tickets in any upper tiers.

Facilities for Disabled Supporters with a Visual Impairment

We welcome all disabled supporters using an assistance dog (in line with Guide Dogs for the Blind Association guidelines). Please let us know, when purchasing tickets, that you will be accompanied by an assistance dog when attending matches.

There is no allocated seating for visually impaired supporters and they may therefore sit (subject to availability) in their preferred area of Goodison Park. As with any football stadium, the upper tiers of Goodison Park are very steep and we would therefore discourage any supporter who would be unable to exit the Stadium quickly in the event of an emergency, from purchasing tickets in any upper tiers.

Headsets are available on request, to request a headset please contact on [email protected] or 0151 530 5396.

Accessible Car Parks

Due to the limited number of stadium car parking spaces available to supporters on match days, the Club is unfortunately unable to offer stadium car parking to every Blue Badge holder.

Any supporter who is not necessarily disabled in the legal sense but who is suffering from temporary injuries or illnesses which could affect their ease of access whilst at Goodison Park (e.g. a broken leg) should contact the Disabled Liaison officer Brendan Connolly on [email protected] or 0151 530 5396.

Post by Football News on Nov 2, 2016 16:43:08 GMT

Fan Experience

One of the Club's primary objectives each and every season is to ensure that everyone who attends first team fixtures at Goodison Park has a pleasant and memorable Match day experience.

To further improve the Match day experience for all supporters attending matches at Goodison Park we have now extended our Fan Based Services team consisting of a Events Manager who will be organising our Fan Zone/ Match day Hub on a match day and we also have themed matches as part of our Memorable Match day activity, both before and during half time.

To that end we will work tirelessly to ensure that the stadium and immediate environment is always clean, tidy and as comfortable as possible. The health and safety of both supporters and Match day staff is of paramount importance to us and we shall ensure that all floors and surfaces are free from trip-hazards and that whenever we do encounter unforeseen problems - for example spillages and breakages - clean-up work will be commenced and completed as quickly as is practicable.

Should you need to contact fan based services at any point over your match day experience please contact: 0151 556 5261

Goodison Park is a "smoke-free" zone (this includes electronic cigarettes and other electronic smoking devices) and we will not tolerate breaches of the regulations which govern this ruling. Indeed, anyone caught smoking inside the stadium may be ejected and will face the possibility of being banned from attending matches.

The safety of those who attend games at Goodison Park stands at the very top of our priority list. We aim to ensure that those who wish to follow Everton can do so in a friendly and threat-free environment. We employ a comprehensive safety management structure which includes contingency plans designed to deal quickly and effectively with any exceptional circumstances which may arise.

For supporters who do experience difficulties when attending Goodison Park they can report the problem to a HELP text line 60030 giving brief details and location of the problem.